Imps take 32 pin lead to Somerset

The Imps 395 Merlins 363

Dorchester side The Imps beat Merlins at the Conservative Club on Thursday night to take a 32 pin lead into next weeks 2nd leg game at Horsington, Somerset.
The Imps started with a 59 hand with Mark Ackerman getting a 14 stick up, but the visitors from Somerset hit back with a 65 hand to go 6 up. Ackerman again hit a stick up on the second hand and the home side hit a hand of 69, Merlins again played well with K.Burpitt hitting his second stick up of the night as his side hit 63 to tie the match up.
The third hand saw the Imps skittle well and with a big 17 stick up from Martin Haime took their hand total to 73, Merlins skittled steady to a 60 hand to put the Imps 13 pins in front. The fourth hand put the Dorset team in control as they hit a hand of 65 and Merlins could only reply with a 54 hand to give the Imps a lead of 24 pins.
With the game looking over the home side put in a poor hand of 58 to give the Somerset lads a chance, and Merlins took it to come back into the match hitting a hand of 67 with lead off man A.Tyling having a 14 stick up and star man Burpitt chipped in with a 10 stick up to bring the difference between the two teams down to 15 pins.
On the last hand the Imps were heading for a average hand until seventh man Keith Wyatt had a flopper and got 16 and the Imps finished with a hand of 71 to leave Merlins needing 87 to win. With the second leg to play at their home alley on 2nd August Merlins were looking at keeping the difference between the two teams down to a minimum, but a poor hand of 54 gave the Imps a 32 pin victory and a good lead to defend on their trip to Somerset.
Top score for the Imps was the impressive Mark Ackerman who hit 59, while K.Burpitt went 2 better for the visitors hitting 61.